Ekspozita "Gardianet e parajses" zgjoi reagime te shumta 08 11 2019

Is time to talk about the main topic of Express.

At the National Library of Kosovo

days ago, an exhibition talking about

everyday life in North Korea was open.

We had a reportage about that,

and we gave information about

the content of this exhibition.

But, we will talk again about this cultural

event since it opened a big debate.

Mainly because most of them were negative

We will discuss them now in this talk.

Photos are spreading in facebook pretending

that the Library has replaced photographs

of our Renaissance authors with those

of the North Korean Leader.

If these negative comments are righteous

or is a total misunderstanding

of the concept of the exhibition

will be discussed here today

with our guest from the National Library

Rudina Tahiraj.

Welcome Rudina, welcome to Express

Thank you for the invitation.

Thank you too, for accepting our invitation

to clarify this situation and the debate

that probably you did not expect to happen.

So Rudina let's talk again about

what concerned the public

about the last exhibition at the Library.

What's about this exhibition?

Thank you! Firstly because of

the space you gave us to be here.

Not because of our need to clarify anything

because I think everything is already clear

what the Library or the Author

wanted to present in this exhibition.

But most of all to add information

where it's needed.

For our public.

So, the author is from Norway.

and the exhibition is also supported by

the Norwegian Embassy.

The author himself was present at the opening

He addressed the audience

but probably he failed to explain

the concept and idea behind the exhibition.

I think that in general

at the opening ceremonies

explaining the concept is not the goal.

I believe we live in a time

when the concepts are given before.

The Library and Traavik.Info already did it.

The opening ceremony is a kind of party

in our case, the artist Morten Traavik

was there, the director of the Library

Mr. Fazli Gajraku and also

the Norwegian Ambassador.

Said that the public had all the chances

to see the full photographic installation

and also a documentary film

by Morten Traavik, done in the time

he was in North Korea.

What I want to stress is that

Mr. Morten Traavik has a long and varied

experience in North Korea.

And he really knows their everyday life.

Morten Traavik came in Kosovo

to present who he perceives

the everyday life in North Korea.

In what he acknowledges as a dictatorship

and isolation of a country

in these modern times.

As we talk you can see some footage

from the exhibition

there are people visiting it.

With what you could see,

was the public interested to see the exhibition

even by curiosity after the comments

and the debate started on Facebook?

I want to say that unfortunately

this was an exhibition which did not

attract attention on an opening day,

even thought it was well promoted.

The media was not interested in it.

They become interested in it,

if I can call it like that,

after individuals or different groups

thought it was reasonable to talk

about the exhibition or criticizing it.

I think that to criticize an exhibition

first, you have to be informed.

All the background of the exhibition

was available on different platforms.

The concept of the author and also

the content of the exhibition,

all the information was there I think.

And to create an idea or

criticize another you have to visit the LIbrary.

Exactly. Before we talk more about the concept

of the exhibition, as you mentioned,

to add more information about it.

Now we will see an interview with

the author of the exhibition done

during the opening ceremony.

I'm following up on the discussion

where you left it, before the author's interview.

Most of the people had spoken before

actually seeing which were the photos

exposed. They're focused on

the image of the dictator, Kim.

And probably just mentioning his name

produces debate without having

much information.

Could you Rudina explain to us

very shortly, since you represent the Library

why was interesting for you to include

in your repertoire this exhibition.

And also about the subject, it presents,

why do you think it was important to share

with the public?

Morten Traavik this July submited

a request to the Library

to bring the exhibition Guardians of Paradise

in Pristina.

Apparently the National Library impressed

him for its architecture

and as a cult object and important object

for the preservation of the cultural

heritage and arts.

In his request was clear all the background

of the exhibition.

Meaning that the exhibition

Guardians of Paradise was premiered

in Gjirokastra, at Kadare's House.

So, an exhibition depicting everyday life

in a totalitarian country like North Korea,

was shown in, as the author says,

in the land where the dictator of Albania was born

and at the same time Ismail Kadare.

And because of him, Ismail Kadare,

being an important figure for our culture,

he decides to confront in this context

a dictator like Kim of North Korea.

The same happens in the National Library.

According to his concept,

he wants to confront these opposed figures.

We are talking about the Albanian

Renaissance authors, who prepared the

the cultural path for Kosovo,

confronted with Kim.

Father and son of North Korea.

Obviously it depends on the public

how to view it, even literaly

this confrontation we did with Naim Frasheri

or other Rennainssance authors with Kim.

It is up to the public to see it as

conjunction of figures

or as space where opposed figures

are confronted.

And obviously this can arouse something

to the population.

I feel sorry it aroused only criticism

but there is much more behind the figures

and art than just the faces of people

they represent.

It is not uncommon that artists use

their work to provoke debate, maybe this

was also the case of the Norwegian artist.

From the beginning

it was explained that the purpose

of this exhibition was not to promote

dictatorship but to show maybe

the opposite of what we are living,

to show the life in what we call dictatorship.

Did you think about the reactions

before opening the exhibition?

Did you predict it somehow this reaction?

I think is in the core of every art work,

of every photographic installation,

of every exhibition to tease the thinking

but absolutely not to provoke the population.

The Library never attempted to provoke

or hurt its public.

Indeed we hoped for reactions

but for this kind of reactions,

we couldn't imagine.

What I want to emphasize again

is that the public

did not take sufficient information

about the content of the exhibition.

There is a quote by Milan Kundera in the

beginning of the exhibition which

eliminates 100% any allegation of the

the exhibition being a promotion

of dictatorship.

And then you have the photographs

expressing strongly

the everyday life of the North Koreans

through dictatorship and the system

in which they live.

In a way, the author wanted to share

his experience and what he saw in

a country that is not that easy to visit.

Someone from the Library staff told

to our correspondent that the students

who are the people that most frenquently

use the Library were not happy about

this exhibition.

Did they have the chance to approach you

and get more information before reacting?

Or is the case of disinterest

toward the content.

As I said before, the information

was available everywhere.

Days before the opening we gave flyers,

also, the installation was implemented

days before meaning that was enough space

to get informed.

If the students did not like what they saw,

I can say that the exhibition

was not set to be liked or disliked

by anyone.

I was set to provoke thinking.

An exactly on the principle of allowing

an artist to establish a communication

with our public, we collaborated with

author for this exhibition.

The debates are always well received,

but we think that always when you discuss

about something,

you should have the proper information.

I really hope that after this interview

all of those who somehow felt hurt

by this exhibition could get through

some more information.

And if then they'll still have the same

opinion is on everybody's right to think

Did you as Library, ever thought or

at least were you influenced by

the comments and critics mainly in the

social media,

to take down the exhibition before

the announced date?

In fact, I don't think we can

call it proper criticism,

what has been done until now.

It is more a confrontation of ideas...

the Library want's to clarify the reason

why we chose to make this collaboration

We are there

In fact, how can we stand behind a

criticism of promoting dictatorship

when we are not doing that?

I don't know if taking down the exhibition

would be reasonable.

Let's talk a bit about that

because of many requests coming

at our newsroom to visit again

the exhibition since we talked about that

from the beginning.

Because they don't understand how

we reacted and accepted this exhibition

and the work of this author.

But for the ones that want, is there

any option contact the Library

even via web pages or something else?

Yes, we are absolutely transparent

with everybody.

We, the Library, did not receive any

direct criticism.

Directly to us.

We accepted questions from the media,

and we responded to different questions

But we saw a tendency from the media

to reconfirm the criticism that they found

from the public.

I'm saying public but actually I don't know

if they are the public or just some individuals

who took a lot of attention.

And actually our answers

were not transmitted correctly.

It was a tendency to not receive

information about the exhibition or the artist.

Except one media who talked directly to

Mr. Morten Traavik.

No one else wanted to communicate with him.

It means that the author knows about the debate.

Yes, and he is open to comments

and sincere discussions

about the exhibition.

Is he surprised about the reactions

in Kosovo?

Because I believe he has shown

this exhibition in other places

and I don't know how was the reaction

in other places?

Mr. Traavik is very surprised

and disappointed

Not disappointed from the people

of Kosovo but from the expectations

about bringing his work.

He knows all had happened after the opening

and he is open for everybody,

for people or media

who wants more information.

But also with a little google research

you can get links and informations

about Mr. Morten Traavik and his art.

I hope for those who want to know

more can go online

and find more answers.

We are at the end of our time

shortly if you want to say something

to our public especially to those

who now wants to really visit

the exhibition to find out if

they unintentionally prejudged

the exhibition or not.

How long will the exhibition last?

These are the last days of the exhibition

meaning in the 11th will be the last day.

So there are only 3 days.

Except for Sunday that we are closed.

We invite everybody to visit the exhibition

to change their mind or just to get informed

Or simply to tease their critic mind.

We welcome everybody.

Rudina thanks you for being here

we'll welcome you for other talks

hoping to have good debates too.

Thank you very much

Thank you very much